Finally someone in the Mickelson camp has admitted — but only begrudgingly — that Phil Mickelson made a mistake on 18 in his club selection.

First, Rick Smith noted that Mickelson’s swing was a little messed up, reverting back to an old swing flaw. “Every player will always fall back into the old…. It’s not a choke. He was struggling with his driving all day. If you’re playing well, then blow it off the planet. If you’re striping it every single time and then you hit it 50 yards off-line, that’s a choke.”

Smith then offered a small concession: “Anybody could say he could have hit four-wood. But it’s 450 yards, uphill and into the wind. The hole sets up for a cut, but man, what a hole. Could he have hit a four-iron or five-iron? Probably.”

Dave Pelz, too, conceded: “If he had driven it at Winged Foot the same way he did at the Masters, he would have won by 10 shots. His short game was that good. And faced with a similar set of circumstances next time, he’ll probably be more conservative.” More here.